Rhus Staghorn . Could This Be True?

[stefos]

My neighbour of 30 years had a beautiful rhus staghorn tree which had an errant bow removed last year, quickly losing its leaves and now it looks positively dead. She told me that apparently the trauma had affected it and it may take a year or two to recover - according to her gardener.

Is she being hoodwinked?

[Chipchopper]

Without seeing the tree and taking on board what you have said, personally I would hazard a guess and say that the tree may have already started to decline.
30+ years is about the expected life-span of this tree and anything more a bonus 60 years perhaps exceptional.
It may though continue to send up suckers from the roots though.